Camping Troop Program Feature for Scouts BSA

BSA has created updated versions of the Troop Program features for Scouts BSA. The Camping program feature is available in digital format on the BSA website or can be purchased as a publication from you local Scout Shop.

The Camping program feature teaches Scouts helps Scouts experience the fun and adventure of camp life. Theses camping program ideas include some general information and some more specific ideas for meetings:

• Outdoor ethics instruction
• Leave No Trace principles
• Tread Lightly principles
• The Kodiak Challenge
• Safe dishwashing techniques: Three-bin dishwashing
• Useful knots such as the Trucker’s Hitch

Suggested troop meeting ideas are grouped by essential, challenging, or advanced. Here are a few you can see in the guide.

Instruction: Essential

• Design a campsite setup
• Learn to tie two half hitches, taut-line hitch, clove hitches, and lashings
• Set up a tarp as a dining fly
• List the ten essentials for the outdoors
• Review the contents of a patrol box
• Practice putting tents up and down
• Discuss camp sanitation, including hand washing and washing cooking gear
• Discuss how to dispose of garbage
• Demonstrate how to use a knife, ax, and saw
• Make a fuzz stick
• Learn about kindling and fuel
• Learn fire safety measures
• Build, light, and extinguish a small teepee fire

Instruction: Challenging

• Practice setting up a dining fly quickly
• Lash together a hand washing station
• Use a hand axe to safely prepare wood for a fire
• Light kindling, feed it with larger tinder, and let it completely burn out

Instruction: Advanced

• Discuss different types of rain gear
• Lash together a garbage bag holder
• Use an axe, saw, and knife to make a sorted collection of tinder and kindling for a fire
• Start a fire with a hot spark kit and cotton

Games and other resources

There are also several games suggested to keep things interesting at your troop meetings

• Taut-line hitch race

The plan even provides Scoutmaster’s minutes and ceremonies for meetings.

Then there is the “Main Event”. Once again, there are suggestions for essential, challenging, or advanced. Details and planning aids can be found in the online guide.

• Drive to a location and camp there (essential)
• Camp using methods from the past (challenging)
• Complete a Kodiak Challenge (advanced)

Find some related helps and achievements for the Camping Troop Program Feature below.

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